Madhya Pradesh: Government doctor caught selling private medicines in Bhind, used her car as medical store

Bhind (Madhya Pradesh): Putting all the efforts of the Indian government to make health services accessible to the poorer sections of the society in vain, a woman doctor at a government hospital in Bhind has been caught using her car as a medical store for private medicines.

The incident came to the fore in a surprise inspection by the Phoop Block Medical Officer (BMO) on Sunday, in which Dr. Beena Hotagi’s car driver fled the scene. 

Dr. Beena Hotagi, posted at the Phoop Community Health Centre has been accused of prescribing medicines to the patients on her personal letterhead instead of the government one. She then sends the patients to her car where her driver sells them private medicines which are costlier than the medicines available at government medical stores.

Speaking on the matter, BMO Siddharth Chauhan said’ “We were receiving some complaints regarding this. Since according to government guidelines, doctors can neither prescribe nor sell private medicines at government hospitals, we conducted a surprise inspection. During the inspection, we found Hotagi’s car parked in the hospital premises. It was filled with medicines from the outside which are not sold in the hospital.”

A series of allegations and Beena's denial

Chauhan further accused Dr. Beena of asking patients to come to her Lahar based private clinic. He said that Bhind CMHO has been informed about the incident and notice will be issued to the woman doctor.

In her defence, Dr.Beena Hotagi said that BMO Chauhan has levelled false allegations against her with malicious intent. She said, ”Apart from working at the Phoop Community Health Centre, I also run my clinic in Lahar. The medicines in my car were for a patient of my clinic.”